Alex Aftermath
by supersanvers
Summary: Maggie had thought that the day that she had seen Alex floating in that tank had been the worst day of her life. She was wrong.
1. Chapter 1

"You held on," Kara's voice cracked. She was trying to take in the fact that her sister was on the ground in front of her. Her hand - though it was far too cold was not the ominous cold of a dead body - was between her own hands. She was breathing. She had been stuck in that tank for hours, but she had survived.

"I held on," Alex agreed weakly. The brutal cold of the water had sapped her of all energy. Adrenaline had kept her going for the past two hours, during which time things had gotten desperate. But now the cold was becoming overwhelming, and it was fogging her mind as well as her body. She could feel Maggie tighten her arms about her, and what she felt like a kiss on the top of her head. Her breathing shuddered, as her body fought to warm itself.

"I can't fly her," Kara could see the question in Maggie's mind. "She's too cold already," Kara was already removing her cape from her shoulders, and started to tuck it around Alex.

"J'onn despatched an ambulance when we left. It should be here...," Maggie stopped, when she heard a siren. "Soon," she finished. "D'you hear that Alex? It won't be long. We'll get you all warmed up in a hot minute. Try and stay with us," she squeezed her shoulder lightly, rewarded when Alex's sluggish eyelids opened again. "That's it, Danvers. I need to see those beautiful brown eyes of yours. It's all over, babe."

"D'you .. is ...," Alex's words were slurring. She shook her head in frustration. "He?"

"He's in custody," Kara told her sister gently. "He's not going anywhere." She was concerned by Alex's increasing pallor, and the blue tinge that was starting on her face. She looked around her, but couldn't see anything she could use to keep her warm. And then she saw the EMTs. "Hurry! Over here!" she called. "She's freezing."

Within minutes, Alex had been expertly stripped of her sodden clothing, and was swaddled in warmed blankets. Both Kara and Maggie sat by her gurney, with Maggie clutching tight to her hand. A warmed IV snaked into Alex's hand.

Maggie had imagined that all would be fine once Alex had been found. But seeing lying so pale on the gurney, struggling to remain conscious, her heart constricted. She knew she would not relax until medical professionals checked Alex out thoroughly. It would take time for her to recover physically - and even more for them both to face the emotional fallout - but they could handle that. She just prayed that Alex would not be permanently harmed by the events of the last day. Maggie looked at her. She wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but she thought her color was marginally improved. Her lips were no longer blue. She rested her other hand on Alex's brow, and stroked gently. She just wanted to soothe her. "You were amazing," she whispered.

After Alex's eyes fluttered shut, Maggie took a deep breath. She could see Kara sitting behind her. Kara had never looked so small, so scared. "She's okay, Kara," she reassured her. "You saved her when you got her out of that tank. I would have never been able to break it on time."

"It was my fault that..."

"Stop that," Maggie's voice was harsher than she had intended. "None of this is your fault. None. The only one who's to blame is Malverne." Alex mumbled something, and turned slightly toward Maggie, as though she were seeking closer contact with her hand. Maggie stroked her again. "You're okay, babe," she said again. "Kara's right here with you too," she nodded to Kara, who reached out and placed a hand on Alex's back. "We'll be at the DEO before you know it."

"No gown," Alex mumbled.

"What was that, babe?" Maggie asked.

"No gown. Butt hangs out," Alex's voice was fading.

"I swear," Maggie promised her. "We won't let you show your butt to the world. It's a great butt, though, Danvers," she squeezed her hand lovingly.

"S'just for you," Alex slurred, and then she was asleep again.

Maggie looked at Kara and smiled as she shrugged. "She does have the best butt."

Kara smiled. She still couldn't relax, and she knew Maggie couldn't either. Maggie was pretending to be calm, but Kara could hear her heart racing. She touched Maggie's arm reassuringly. Maggie nodded back at her. The words were unspoken, but they knew they were both thinking the same thing. This one had been too close.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Maggie kept her word to Alex, and insisted that the nurses dressed her in pajama pants and a sleeveless tee. If Alex woke up in a hospital gown, there would be hell to pay. Maggie even helped Alex into a sports bra. She knew that she wouldn't be able to keep their colleagues away from Alex's bedside, and Alex would be mortified if anyone saw more than they should. The head nurse, Susie, smiled at Maggie's stubborn insistence. "I'd feel the same way," she admitted. "In fact, I have it written into my file, if ever anything happens to me, I want pajamas. Not one of those godawful gowns."

Maggie tried to smile back, but 99.9% of her attention was still on Alex. She had been touched by the gentleness of the nursing staff, and Dr Hamilton had only just left the room, after spending over two hours with Alex. Once Hamilton had been sure that Alex was warming up, at an appropriate speed, she stitched her shoulder – Maggie had blanched when she saw what Alex had done to try and save herself – and took bloods. She wanted to make sure that Alex hadn't picked up anything nasty during her immersion.

"What's that?" Maggie demanded to know, as Susie drew up a syringe to inject into Alex's IV.

"It's just a light sedative. It's going to take a few hours before her body gets up to the right temp. We just want her to sleep while everything fixes itself. It's very light, we won't give her anything stronger, not until the hypothermia is completely gone. This should just make it easier for her to relax."

Maggie nodded. "M'sorry," she muttered.

"You don't have to be sorry, honey. You ask me anything you want," Susie laid a hand on her arm. "Dr Hamilton said she should be fine in a day or two."

Maggie nodded.

Susie looked closely at her. She had been a nurse for over 20 years, and she knew that Maggie was only just holding on. "I'm going to get you a better chair," she cast a disparaging look at the plastic chair under Maggie.

"I can stay, though?"

"As long as you need to," Susie reassured. "You can stay with her until she's ready to go home, if you want."

Maggie looked relieved.

"It'll only be a couple of days," Susie could tell what she was thinking. "I'll be right back."

Within five minutes, Susie returned, shoving a high-back, padded chair that looked strangely familiar. "Director Henshaw said you should take this," she smiled.

Maggie realized that it was J'onn's chair, and was touched by his kindness. She'd happily sit on the floor, as long as she could hold Alex's hand. Her warm hand, she realized.

Alex slept for close to 18 hours. Maggie got up briefly, three times to pee, once to eat the sandwich which Kara held out almost threateningly, and a few times to stretch her stiff back. She gave a good stretch, touched her toes and reached for the ceiling. Her mind was in a swirl. She couldn't imagine what she would have done if they hadn't gotten to Alex on time. She forced herself to control her breathing.

She looked out through the glass walls of the med bay, thinking, not for the first time, that it was the least-relaxing environment possible for a patient to recover. There should be proper walls, soothing lighting. A pot plant. Hell, a bonsai tree. She was getting loopy now, she realized. Nobody liked bonsai trees. Not even Alex, though she pretended to, and Maggie had noticed that she had introduced several of them to her own apartment, just because Maggie was one of the very few who actually did like them.

"Hey, you," Maggie heard the words, in the voice that she was desperate to hear. The voice she had feared she would never hear again.

She turned to the bed, and saw Alex waking up. She rushed to her side, and took her hands – Alex reached for her, and they grasped each other, making sure that they maximized skin contact. Alex's hands were warm. Her color was still not good, but it was so much better than it had been when they had found her.

"Are you okay?" Alex was asking.

Maggie couldn't believe her ears. "Am I okay? Are you kidding?" she tightened her grip on Alex. God, she was so beautiful. And so brave – and smart. Maggie couldn't believe how brave she had been in that tank. She would never have had the presence of mind to do all the things that Alex did. "That was really clever, with the whole Navy Seal thing, with your pants," she said, smiling gently at Alex. "What was that?"

Alex laughed. Maggie had to force herself not to cry. The sound of Alex's laughter was the most precious sound she had ever heard. "Well, I knew I just had to buy a couple of seconds. I knew you were coming," Alex told her. The way she looked at Maggie made Maggie believe that Alex had had total faith in her. Ice ran down her spine. What would she have done if Alex had been wrong?

"You didn't let me finish, before," Alex's voice was rough. Maggie wanted her to conserve her energies, but she knew Alex really wanted to talk. "I just really have to say it now," Alex said. Maggie's anxiety rocketed when Alex started to sit up.

"Hey, careful," Maggie stroked the inside of Alex's arm as she sat up. She couldn't stop touching her. She needed to reassure herself as much as reassure Alex.

"It's okay, it's okay," Alex insisted. Maggie tried not to panic when Alex's breathing seemed to take an effort. Alex looked her right in the eye. "Those firsts that you talked about," she started. Maggie nodded. She didn't think she'd ever be able to shake the memory of that conversation with Alex over the laptop. She had had to force Alex not to say goodbye.

Alex was still talking. "I want to have them all with you. I never want to stop having firsts with you." She reached out and touched Maggie's face. "I love you, Maggie Sawyer."

Maggie smiled. She had never experienced such emotions. The highs and lows of the past couple of days were going to stay with them all for a very long time. But she knew that this was right. She had never told anyone she loved them, not since her parents. She had never had the courage to put her heart on the line like that. But this was Alex. Beautiful, badass, strong, fragile, Alex. She didn't hesitate. "I love you, Alex Danvers."

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

"You gonna mind wipe him?" Alex's tone was controlled.

"Do you object?" J'onn asked. At this point, he would do anything Alex asked of him. She had nearly sacrificed her life – he knew that she had begged Kara not to give in to Malverne's blackmail, insisting that Supergirl was more important than she was.

"No," Alex said. "Just … before you do that," she went up to Malverne, keeping eye contact with him. Then she hit him with a powerful punch.

Maggie smirked in admiration. Only her beautiful girlfriend would wake up from hours in a hospital bed, and still be able to deliver a punch that size.

Malverne's face was a picture. "You're going to regret that," he said.

"I doubt that," Alex turned to walk away.

"I was going to give you the antidote. Looks like you'll have to find another way," Malverne's voice was unnaturally calm.

"What in the hell does that mean?" Kara was angry.

"Give it two, maybe three weeks, and you'll find out. You'd be wise to hold off the mind wiping," Malverne smirked.

J'onn made a gesture, and the soldiers dragged him away.

"What the hell was that about?" Alex was trying to look strong, but her strength was ebbing at a frightening pace. She was grateful to feel Maggie's arm around her waist.

"Grandstanding," J'onn ground out, but he was anxious. He still couldn't read Rick Malverne's mind, and he couldn't be sure. He picked up his radio. "Double Malverne's guard," he instructed. "And no visitors, or contact with anyone."

Dr Hamilton marched down the hall, her face softening when she caught sight of Alex. "Aha. My fugitive patient," she smiled.

Alex had the sense to look abashed.

Hamilton grinned. "It's okay, Agent Danvers," she said. "I'll forgive you this once. And, if you swear to stay in bed until 4pm today, if things still look good, I might allow Detective Sawyer to take you home tonight. How does that sound?"

"Bliss," Alex was trying not to lean too obviously on Maggie.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

By 6pm, Alex and Maggie were ensconced on the couch in Alex's apartment. Alex lay with her head in Maggie's lap. She felt exhausted, more tired than she could ever remember. She knew that was due as much to the emotional trauma as it was to the physical travails. She could feel the warmth of Maggie's body, and tried to stay awake as Maggie carded her hand through her hair.

At 8pm, Maggie roused her, persuaded her to eat a piece of toast and drink some water, and then allowed herself to be led to bed.

Maggie tried desperately to stay awake herself. She just wanted to stare at Alex. Beautiful Alex, who was draped over her lap, drooling lightly on Maggie's tee. Normally Maggie would give her hell for that, but right now, she couldn't think of a single thing she wanted more than what she had right now. Eventually, she drifted off.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

"What the hell?" Alex was pissed.

"It's just a few days. Until the end of the week," Kara was trying to keep Alex calm. She put her hands up in surrender. "It's not me, J'onn is the one who has banned you from the DEO. But you can come back Monday."

"That's five days from now," Alex grumbled.

"He has banned Maggie for the same time, too," Kara gave a small smile.

Alex's face brightened.

"Maybe not so bad after all?" Kara teased. "Where is she, anyway?"

"She went out to get me that granola I like. I know. I know. I told her not to. But she wants me to have everything I want, and it seems to make her happy."

"She was so scared," Kara remembered how Maggie had been during the period Alex was missing. If she had ever doubted Maggie's love for Alex, she knew now how real and sincere it was. She hesitated.

Alex watched Kara carefully. She could see her thinking, and then making a decision. "What?" she demanded.

"It's nothing," Kara said, remembering back to Maggie's desperation in the prison.

"She told me, if that's what you're hiding," Alex said softly. "She told me she tried to break him out. She also told me that it was you that got him to talk."

"Did she also tell you that it was me that screwed up and cut the time you had left?"

"She told me how much you both love me, and how you both did what you could to help. There's only one bad guy in this Kara, and it's not you or Maggie. You saved me. I knew you would."

Kara's face crumpled. "I can't stop thinking. What if...?" she choked on her own words.

Before she knew it, Alex had her in her arms and was rocking her gently. "You were always going to find me," she murmured. "I knew it." She pulled back and pushed a strand of Kara's hair behind her ear. "You're the best sister anyone ever had."

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

J'onn made a decision. He would hold off on the mind-wipe for a month. He didn't know what Malverne had alluded to when he talked of the need for an antidote. But he did know he didn't want to take any risks. And if it took just a few more weeks, just to be sure, then he could wait.

He put Malverne in the least private cell – it was one that most of the agents would pass every day, ensuring no peace and quiet for him. The four glass walls gave him no respite. J'onn called Alex to check that that would be okay with her, and reminded her that she could use the back entrance to the DEO to avoid passing him every day. Alex thanked him, but told him firmly she would come in the same way she always had. She didn't want Malverne to think that he was intimidating her.

Maggie checked her holster for the third time. "Are you sure you feel...?"

"I'm totally fine," Alex interrupted her. Maggie had been so sweet over the past few days, but Alex knew that if she didn't get out of the apartment, and get back to work, she would be certifiable by the end of the week. She loved spending so much time with Maggie, but her girlfriend's hovering was beginning to bug her. She could cope with this.

In truth, Alex dreaded walking past Malverne's cell. She knew it, Maggie knew it, and if he was reading her mind, J'onn knew it too. He wouldn't though, he wouldn't invade her privacy like that. But he was intuitive even without mind-reading. Hell, everyone probably knew she was nervous. So she double-checked her uniform, stuck her chin out and strode into the DEO.

Alex could feel Malverne's eyes on her as she strutted past, but he didn't speak to her. By the time she got to her lab, she was sweating. She sat at her computer, and took some deep breaths. Her email pinged. Piece of cake, Danvers. I knew you could handle it. Maggie always knew the right thing to say.

Maggie was antsy all day. She had to stop herself from dropping into Alex's lab every half hour, and somehow kept her visits down to four in the day. Every time she saw her, and saw that she was fine, she felt foolish. And her excuses for visiting were beginning to wear thin.

Alex smiled when Maggie rapped on her glass door for the fourth time that day.

Maggie sidled in, sheepishly. "Just checking that you're okay with Thai for tonight?"

Alex laughed openly. "And I thought you were just checking that I was okay. And it was me that suggested Thai an hour ago, remember?"

Maggie smirked. "You got me, Danvers."

"You don't have to have a reason to visit me, Maggie," Alex's voice was soft. She stroked Maggie's face. "I know how rough this whole thing has been on you. If you want to drop in every ten minutes, then have at it. I'm the luckiest woman in the world to have a girlfriend who cares so much."

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Maggie was so relieved by the time Friday came. She and Alex were both aware that they were being eased back into the workplace. Only one mission had come up in the week, and mysteriously it required neither of them. They couldn't expect that to continue, but Maggie was grateful that, so far, Alex had not been put in any danger.

It was naïve in the extreme to assume that Alex would allow herself to be kept out of danger for much longer, even if J'onn sanctioned in. Maggie knew that. She would feel the same herself. But, right now, it was good to be lying on their couch, in each other's arms. She lay across Alex's chest, reassured by the gentle, strong, steady heartbeat under her ear. There would never be a better sound than that.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

"Agent Danvers, I trust you had a pleasant weekend," Malverne sneered as she strode past. She ignored him. He had started greeting her every morning, but she didn't even accord him the courtesy of a glance in his direction.

J'onn was walking toward her, with a degree of urgency. "It's the Infernians. Arson at a plastics warehouse. This could be an ecological disaster. Supergirl's already on her way. She'll deal with the fire, but the perpetrators may still be there."

Alex leapt into action. She grabbed a Hazmat suit and breathing tank, and met a team who were already assembled in a van. As she was about to climb in, she spotted Mon'El. "Tell Maggie I'll be right back. And tell her it's nothing serious," she instructed him.

Maggie had insisted on stopping at Starbucks, to get Alex's favorite coffee. She would be at the DEO within minutes, and Alex didn't want her to worry.

Four hours later, a tired, sweaty and smoke-covered Alex climbed out of the DEO van, not expecting to see Maggie in the underground parking lot. Maggie ran up to her. Alex could tell she wanted to hug her, but didn't want to embarrass her at work. "We're all fine," she told her immediately. "No injuries. And we caught them all." She took Maggie's hand, which surprised Maggie, Alex was usually wary of any displays of affection at work. Alex grinned and looked at their joined hands. She leant forward to give her a quick kiss, and shrugged. If she had learned anything from her experience, it was that she couldn't be too clear about how important Maggie was to her life.

The rest of the week went well, as everyone settled back into their old routines. Alex had surprised herself when Maggie was needed on a mission on the Wednesday, and she wasn't. She started to realize just how stressful it was for Maggie when she was in the field.

By Friday, Alex was pleased that the weekend was coming up. She felt satisfied at her peformance over the week, and was also relieved that the others had stopped treating her as though she was fragile. She was also learning to ignore Malverne when she walked past him, and was much less affected by his presence than she had been. He was a sad, pathetic man. And in a couple of weeks, J'onn would have mind-wiped him, and he would be incarcerated in a federal prison.

Maggie came home over an hour after Alex, having gotten caught up in paperwork. When she got back to the apartment, her heart melted at the sight of Alex, asleep on the couch, her arm clutching a pillow as she slept. Alex had recently admitted to her that she hated to sleep without Maggie, and that she had to hold something instead. "I should get you a teddy bear," Maggie had teased her.

"Nothing's as good as the real thing," Alex had laughed back.

Maggie decided to cook dinner before waking Alex. She slung together a quick stir fry, putting two heaped plates on the coffee table by the couch. She sat on the edge of the couch, and stroked Alex's face. She was looking a little pale, but Maggie forced herself not to worry. It was the end of the week, and Alex was bound to be tired.

Alex blinked. It took her a few seconds to focus on Maggie, and she smiled when she recognized her. "Hey, babe."

"Hey to you. Hungry?"

Alex was surprised to find that she wasn't really hungry, but she could see the plates that Maggie had set out. "Starving," she lied. She managed nearly three-quarters of the food before her eyelids started drooping again.

Alex allowed herself to be led to the bedroom. She swatted away Maggie's hand when she tried to unbutton her shirt for her. "I can do it," she muttered.

"I know you can," Maggie tried to keep her tone light. She could see that Alex was exhausted. "I just … I kinda like to unwrap you," she grinned.

Alex smiled back. "Oh. Well. In that case," she dropped her own hands, and smiled lovingly at Maggie.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

When Maggie awoke the next morning, Alex was still sleeping soundly, her hair a mess over her face. Maggie felt the need for some exercise so, without showering, she grabbed a pair of shorts, a sports bra and a tee, and headed out for a run, leaving a note so Alex wouldn't worry.

Maggie enjoyed the fresh, spring-like air as she pounded the sidewalk. She aimed to jog to the park, do a half circuit, and get back to the apartment, a route that usually took her just under an hour. She took deep breaths of the cool, cleansing air as she ran. She preferred to run with Alex – if she was honest with herself, she preferred most things with Alex at her side – but she was glad she had slept so well last night, and she didn't want to wake her until she was ready. They were both having disturbed nights, as memories of the abduction often came back, but things were improving.

Maggie got back to the apartment, surprised not to see Alex up and drinking coffee. She really must need her sleep, she realized. It was an hour later, almost 10am, that Alex emerged from the bedroom, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light. She looked adorable, sleep rumpled and make-up free. "Coffee?" Maggie went to the kitchen.

"Please. It'll help me to wake up," Alex smiled. She must have been more tired than she had thought, though she didn't feel particularly refreshed this morning, even after over 12 hours in bed.

They spent the rest of the day involved in domestic tasks, including grocery shopping, which Maggie had always hated with a passion, so Alex refused to let her do it on her own. By the time 8pm came around, Alex felt like she had run a marathon.

Maggie eyed her cautiously. She was trying, so hard, not to coddle her. But Alex had obviously found the last two weeks at work harder than she had realized. So she yawned, pretended to be tired herself, and by 9pm, they were both in bed.

Alex woke a little earlier the next day, and she was determined to show Maggie that she was fine. She had a slight headache, but she proposed a trip to the park. She knew the air would clear her head, and it would be wonderful to spend some time together at one of their favorite places. They might even be in the mood for a game of pool afterward.

Alex loved the sky. She loved to look at it. Even in the day, when there were no stars, she could still pinpoint the direction of Krypton. It made her feel close to her sister, even when they weren't together, just to look upward. So she happily lay on a blanket in the warm weather, her head on Maggie's lap, enjoying the view and loving the feel of Maggie's hand in her hair. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but when she felt Maggie's gentle nudge, and looked at her watch, she realized she had been out for almost three hours. The sun was starting to go down, and she shivered.

"We should go," Maggie said softly. "I don't want you getting chilled."

Alex nodded, and allowed Maggie to help her to her feet. She shouldn't nap during the day, it really threw out her equilibrium. Maggie pretended not to notice when Alex stumbled a little. She was casual when she took Alex's hand, pleased that Alex didn't pull away.

Alex was pale. Maggie's fingers itched with the desire to check her for a fever, but she knew Alex would be pissed if she did. And she was fine. It had just been a rough month.

Alex ate just over half of her dinner, claiming to be full from their earlier picnic lunch. Maggie didn't argue with her. But she was relieved when they went to bed that Alex rested her head on her thigh, because it gave her the excuse to play with her hair, and surreptitiously check her temperature with her hand. Alex's skin felt cool, and Maggie relaxed.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

On Monday morning, Maggie sat up blearily. She could smell coffee. She went into the living room, and saw Alex toasting bagels in the kitchen. She went over to kiss her. Alex was already dressed and ready for work. She still looked slightly pale, and she also had one a little more make-up than usual – was that blusher on her cheek? Alex was the least vain person she knew, so she worried that maybe the blusher was to conceal her pale face.

"You okay?" Maggie tried to keep her tone light.

"I'm great," Alex's smile looked a little forced.

Alex took another drink from her glass of water. She decided she was just dehydrated. Her headache had only intensified over the last day, and she wondered if she had been drinking too much coffee. She determined to hydrate, and keep off caffeine for a couple of days.

As ever, Alex and Maggie both ignored Malverne's greeting as they entered the building.

The morning was busy. Alex was glad to have something to occupy her mind. She swallowed two Tylenol in the hope that her headache would ease up. She realized that she had left her iPad in the car, so went down to the parking lot to retrieve it. On her return, she saw Malverne grinning. "How's the headache, Agent Danvers? It just won't quit, will it?"

She didn't even glance at him. She hated how he seemed to have such an instinctive knowledge of how she felt.

When she walked past him later, on her way to meet J'onn, she made absolutely sure to look strong and firm in her gait. In truth, her head was pounding. "Any fever yet?" he sneered as she walked past.

Once she was out of view, she put her hand to her forehead. She couldn't judge her own temperature. And anyway, it was hot in the DEO today, she'd been sweating all afternoon.

"You look terrible," Maggie was concerned when she saw Alex at the end of the day.

"M'okay," Alex lied. "Little headache. It'll go soon."

Maggie insisted on driving home, and could tell how lousy Alex was feeling as she didn't once argue, or crack jokes about whether Maggie could reach the pedals.

Maggie opened a tin of soup and some crackers, but Alex did little more than toy with her food. Maggie stood up and pressed her hand to Alex's brow. "You're kinda hot, babe," she said, gently. She didn't want to irritate Alex, but she was starting to worry.

"You're pretty hot yourself," Alex tried to tease, her face paling as her stomach gave an unpleasant lurch.

"Did you take anything for that headache?" Maggie could tell by Alex's eyes that she was suffering.

"Tylenol, just took two," Alex didn't admit that that was her third dose of the day.

"If you're not better by the morning, you're going to see Hamilton."

"I'll be fine," Alex tried to believe her own words.


	2. Chapter 2

Maggie was relieved that Alex fell to sleep fast. Maggie spent the first few hours of the night constantly checking on her, so it was nearly 2am by the time she fell asleep herself. So when she awoke the next morning, she wasn't surprised that the bed was empty next to her. She hoped that that meant Alex was recovered, and maybe getting ready for work. She saw the strip of light in the en-suite bathroom, and assumed Alex was showering.

After nearly ten minutes, when Alex didn't emerge, and there was no sound from the shower. Maggie began to get anxious. She tapped lightly on the door. No answer. She waited a minute, then tapped again.

"Be right out," Alex's voice was rough.

Maggie wanted to respect her girlfriend's privacy, but when there was no sound after a further five minutes, she pushed against the door. "I'm sorry, babe," she called quietly. "I just wanted to … oh God, Alex," she saw Alex on her knees, her arms folded across the toilet. She was resting her head on her arms.

Maggie got onto the floor next to her. She put a soft hand on her back, feeling sweat-soaked fabric under her fingers.

"M'sorry," Alex's voice was thick.

"Shh. You don't have to talk. Just try to relax. I'm here now. I'll take care of you."

"Don't feel good," Alex's body stiffened, and she gagged.

"Have you been sick?"

"No. Can't," Alex gripped the sides of the bowl. Her breathing was coming too fast. She moaned. Maggie could feel her whole body shaking under her hand.

"Mag, I … oh God," Alex gagged again. Her mouth filled with saliva. "I …," she spat into the bowl. "I just ..."

"Try not to tense up. Just breathe easy. Try and slow it down, babe. You'll only make it worse," she rubbed soothing circles on Alex's back. She slid her other hand under Alex's forehead, startled by the heat of her skin. "You're burning up, Alex. Wait here, I'll be right back."

Maggie placed a bucket by the bed, together with a bowl of iced water and a washcloth. She was back at Alex's side in minutes.

Alex was slumped over the toilet again; her head was back on her folded arms. Her breathing was unsteady and, it seemed to Maggie, slightly panicked.

Maggie knelt by her, one hand on her shaking back. "I know you feel awful, babe. Let's get you back to bed."

"Wanna be sick," Alex muttered, thickly.

"I know. There's a bucket if we need it. You need to be back in the warm," Maggie could feel her shivers. Before Alex had the chance to argue further, Maggie helped her to her feet, taking most of her body weight. She managed to walk her back to the bed, just getting her to the bed as her legs gave way. Maggie helped her to lie on her side.

Maggie reached for her phone. "Kara, we need you," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "Alex is real sick." Before she had even placed the phone back on the nightstand, there was the familiar whooshing sound and Kara, dressed in her work clothes, was at her side.

"How long has she been like this?" Kara sounded panicked.

"Not sure. I woke up about 10 minutes ago, she was in the bathroom."

"Has she gotten sick?"

"No," Maggie smoothed her hand over Alex's forehead, "but it won't be long."

Alex moaned, and tried to sit up.

Maggie slid on the bed behind her, and pulled her into her lap, so that she was slightly raised. "Mag... I...," Alex sounded so weak. She swallowed, as saliva filled her mouth.

"It's okay, babe. We're here," Maggie tried to sound calm. She could hear Kara on the phone to J'onn, and was relieved to hear her asking him to send an ambulance. They both knew that Alex would not cope well if Kara flew her to the DEO.

Alex was shaking badly. Maggie was grateful when Kara held the bucket for her, so Maggie could use both hands to support her. Alex moaned again, and swallowed. She didn't want to throw up, but she didn't know if she could stop herself. The pounding in her head was excruciating.

"Don't fight it," Maggie said, softly. Her hand continued to caress Alex's back. "Just let it happen. It'll make you feel better. That's it, Alex. See if you can slow your breathing. It's gonna be okay. We'll take care of you. It'll be over soon," she wished she could believe her own words. She knew Alex needed to calm down, her agitation was only going to work against her. She needed to stop her panicking.

"Maggie," Alex said, thickly. "I think I'm gonna..." she gagged, barely even registering as Maggie held a cool washcloth to her forehead. "I can't..."

"Let it happen. Yeah," Maggie grimaced as Alex heaved, and a gush of hot vomit hit the bucket. "That's good, babe. You're doing great. And again," she tightened her grip on Alex, whose body was wracked with tremors. "Try and get it all up. There you go, once more. Don't forget to breathe. We'll get you to the med bay real soon, Hamilton'll fix you right up. Again? Good girl. That's got to be most of it up. It's okay, Alex. We're here. We're not going anywhere. Kara's with us. Okay, babe. Try and slow it down," she was worried about hyperventilation.

Kara watched as Maggie bathed Alex's face, lovingly, gently. She passed her a bottle of water. "Want some of this?" Maggie held it to Alex's lips.

Alex sucked some water down, desperately thirsty. Her stomach roiled, and before either of them knew what was happening, she had vomited down her front, spilling water and bile.

The pain was overwhelming. Alex felt her head pound sickeningly with every heartbeat. She didn't know how much longer she could stay conscious; black spots danced in front of her eyes. She felt Maggie's warm caress. She didn't understand what was happening. She slumped in Maggie's arms, her breathing coming in fast, weak gasps.

"Her heart's racing," Kara said, anxiously. She knew Alex's heartbeat like her own. It was a familiar, and usually comforting, sound.

The doorbell rang, and in a second, Kara was directing the EMTs to the bedroom.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Only Maggie was allowed to stay with Alex as Dr Hamilton examined her at the DEO. Kara thought she would go crazy, pacing outside the room. Nobody was saying anything enlightening, so she could learn nothing about Alex's condition.

"Do you think this could be what Malverne was talking about?" J'onn asked Kara, quietly. "When he said 'antidote'? Do you think he knew this was going to happen?"

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Kara approached Malverne's cell. He was smirking, as though he expected this visit. "She's burning up, right? Alex? Did she get sick yet?"

"What did you do to my sister?" Kara tried to keep control of her anger. She had always abhorred unnecessary violence but, right now, she would happily rip Malverne's head off, if only she hadn't needed him to save Alex.

He grinned. "I told her she would regret punching me."

J'onn appeared at Kara's side. "Don't," he said, too quiet for Malverne to hear. "We need to get answers from him."

"A full pardon, $5 million and a helicopter."

"And if we don't?" J'onn's voice was icy.

"If you don't, your favorite agent has, I guess, two days before the convulsions start. They'll last about 96 hours, with some more vomiting, just for fun. Likely some hallucinations too. It's possible you'll need to restrain her."

"And after that?"

Malverne gave a slow smile. "After that? Lights out," he said. "So you should get on to your boss sooner rather than later. The antidote takes two days to work. So that means," he made a show of looking at his watch, if you don't start her on the meds within four days, the DEO is going to be one agent down. And you don't want that, do you?"

Kara's fists were clenched at her side. "She was your friend," her voice was barely above a whisper. "She looked out for you."

Malverne whipped round to look at her, fury evident on his face. "She didn't want me!" he spat. "She told me she didn't want to be my girlfriend!"

"That's because she wasn't attracted to you. She didn't know why, then," Kara was fighting to keep control of her temper. She would have liked nothing better than to rip him limb from limb, but she knew that wouldn't help Alex.

"Because she is a disgusting dyke."

"Because she is gay, yes," Kara said. "But can you ever remember a time when she was mean to you? She defended you. She stopped those boys from whaling on you. And this is how you repay her." She felt J'onn's hand on her arm, and allowed herself to be led from the room.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

"Her fever's worse," Maggie's face was tight with anxiety.

"What is it now?" Kara wanted to know.

"103.8," Hamilton told Kara.

Kara noted the IV in her sister's arm. Alex's eyes were shut, her face was bathed in sweat.

Maggie sat next to Alex's bed, one hand trailing soothingly through her hair, the other holding a limp hand.

A nurse came into the room, carrying a box. "More ice packs," he said, as he started packing them around Alex's body.

Maggie noted how gentle all the medical staff were being with Alex. They had moved her from the glass-encased med bay to a private room, to safeguard her privacy. And they were all treating her with such respect. She could tell how distraught everyone was.

Kara put a hand on Maggie's shoulder. "I'm going to try talking to him again," she said, softly. "He _liked_ her. She was kind to him. It makes no sense."

"He's jealous of me," Maggie realized it was true. "So he should have taken _me_! She did nothing wrong."

"You haven't done anything wrong either, Maggie," Kara said firmly. "He's the one with the problem. I'm going to talk to J'onn, see if he has any ideas. We could maybe get a negotiator in."

Maggie nodded. She couldn't quite believe what was happening. Alex had gotten better after the tank. She was fine. Okay, so she was tired, but who wouldn't be, after an ordeal like that? Alex moaned, and Maggie whispered soothingly to her.

Maggie brushed angrily at a tear on her cheek. This was not fair. None of it. Alex dedicated her life to helping others. Including Rick Malverne. If Alex hadn't been a kind-hearted teenager, he likely wouldn't even have remembered her.

"Let me know if I can do anything," Maggie said to Kara, as she reached the door.

"Stay with her. She needs you," Kara's voice cracked. Her own emotions were swirling. Alex was, by far, the most important person in her world. She had taken her in, cared for her, and spent her life protecting her. Kara snorted internally at the thought that Alex, still, spent so much time protecting Kara – Kara, possibly the world's strongest and least physically vulnerable woman. But Kara needed her. She needed Alex's protection. Most of all, she needed Alex's unfailing love and support.

"We have to force him to talk," Kara strode into J'onn's office. "We have to. She can't die," her face crumpled, "Alex can't die."

J'onn took her in his arms. "I've put a call into the President's negotiating team. Their best negotiator is ten minutes away."

Kara wiped her eyes. "We should tell Eliza. I should tell Eliza." She knew that Alex wouldn't want anyone but Maggie with her but, as her mother, Eliza deserved to know. She loved Alex and, even though they sometimes had a fractious relationship, Alex loved her. Kara would never forgive herself if something happened to Alex and she hadn't told Eliza she was sick. "I'll go get her from Midvale now. She'd want to be here."

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

"Maggie?" Alex's voice was so weak, and she sounded distressed.

"I'm right here, babe. I'm not going anywhere," Maggie kissed her hand, and stroked her cheek.

Alex forced her eyes open. Maggie had turned the lights down low, but it was still too bright for her. "Mag... I … oh fuck," Maggie held a towel under Alex's mouth as she dry heaved painfully, for the second time that hour.

Dr Hamilton came running in, when she saw a further spike in Alex's heart rate. She was watching her vitals closely from the next room, but she wanted to give Alex and Maggie as much privacy as possible.

Maggie paid her no heed; she was staring at Alex's face, her heart breaking when tears of pain tracked down that beautiful face. She wiped them away with her thumb. "I want to hold her," she said, quietly to Hamilton.

Hamilton wouldn't normally countenance such a request. But this was an unusual situation. And Alex Danvers was clearly in great distress. She wasn't responding to the massive dose of broad-spectrum antibiotics, and her fever was continuing to rise. Being held by her girlfriend would at least give her a shred of comfort. She nodded, and bent to unlace Maggie's boots for her.

Alex curled unconsciously into Maggie's side. "She's getting worse, isn't she?" Maggie kept her voice low.

Hamilton nodded. "I'm so sorry," she said.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Eliza tried to stay stoical when she entered the room. Kara had warned her, but she hadn't imagined that Alex would look this bad. Maggie was holding her protectively, and whispering gently into her hair. She didn't even notice Eliza and Kara entering.

Eliza put a soft hand on Maggie's shoulder. Maggie stared at her. "I'm so sorry," Maggie said.

Eliza put out a shaky hand, and touched Alex's cheek. "How long has she been unconscious?"

"About a half hour," Hamilton entered the room. "Hello, Dr Danvers. I wish these were better circumstances."

Eliza nodded. She kissed Alex on the forehead, and stroked her cheek. She pulled back. She looked at Dr Hamilton. "There must be something I can do. How is the lab work coming? Do you have any leads?"

"We can always use more help there," Hamilton was glad that Eliza wanted to be busy. She knew that Maggie wasn't up to small talk.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Maggie had never felt so desperate. She had been in some bad situations. Some real bad situations. The worst ever had been when she had realized that Alex had run out of air in that tank. But this, this frightened her more than anything ever had.

Alex's breathing had worsened, and her fever had spiked to 104.4. Maggie had hated it when she was in distress. But now she was barely moving; she was limp in Maggie's arms, the only movement the strained heaving of her chest. She couldn't bear it. She wrapped herself round Alex as tight as she could. Alex couldn't die. She couldn't. But if she did, Maggie wanted her to know how much she was loved. She would not let her go. Maggie didn't realize that tears were streaming down her own face until she felt Kara wipe them away gently with a tissue. She hadn't even noticed that Kara was still in the room. She patted the other side of the bed. It would be a tight squeeze, but she knew that Alex would want this. Kara climbed onto the bed, and held Alex from the other side.

They had been huddled together for nearly an hour when the first convulsion hit. Alex's back arched, and her limbs went into spasm. It was only due to Kara's strength that they were able to keep her on the bed.

Hamilton ran into the room, and injected a heavy sedative into the IV that snaked from Alex's hand. It took almost two minutes before the convulsion subsided. Alex's lips were tinged with blue. Hamilton held an oxygen mask to her face, and was relieved when her O2 saturation improved slightly.

Kara was looking panicked. "That's not supposed to happen. Not for another day, at least." She realized that Alex was worsening faster even than Malverne had expected. She grabbed Hamilton's arm. "You have to do something. Please," she begged.

Hamilton had an idea. "Dialysis," she suggested. "It won't cure her, but it might give her more time. It should leach out some of the infection. I have no idea if it will help, but ..."

"Do it," Maggie's voice was icy.

Hamilton nodded.

Within 15 minutes, Alex was hooked up.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

"If just I could read his damned mind," J'onn wanted to punch something. He wanted to punch someone. But he knew Malverne was their best chance of saving Alex. Saving his best-ever agent. Saving the woman he thought of as a daughter. He had only just survived the loss of his own family on Mars. He would never survive such a loss again.

"J'onn?" Eliza's voice was soft.

J'onn wheeled round, and saw Eliza at his office door. In seconds, he had taken her into his arms and was hugging her tight. They were both sobbing.

As they calmed, Eliza took both of his hands. "You know that I know about you," she said. "I know you are telepathic. I did some work on telepathy when I was at college. And I'm wondering … this resistance that he has built up to you. What if we drugged him? Maybe something like Rohypnol? It would reduce his defenses, but he'd still be conscious. She just had a third convulsion, J'onn," Eliza's voice hitched. "I don't think we have much time."

J'onn sprang to his feet. "We don't have any Rohypnol here," he told Eliza. "I'll call my contact at the FDA, I'll go get some."

"What about Kara? She could fly and ..."

"I'll do it," J'onn told her. "Kara needs to be with her sister."

Within a half hour, J'onn had the answer. He strode out of the cell where Malverne was held. Somehow he had resisted beating him to a bloody pulp once he had the answer. He called his tactical team that was tearing Malverne's apartment apart. "It's in the lining of his motorcycle helmet," he told them. "A memory stick. Find it, I'll be there in two minutes."

Five minutes later, J'onn ran into Hamilton's lab, brandishing the memory stick. She loaded it into the computer. "Twenty minutes," she said, "and it'll be ready to inject."

Eliza hugged J'onn with all her might. She let herself into Alex's room. Maggie didn't move. She was too entrenched in Alex, as she cradled her gasping girlfriend in her lap. Kara had moved from the bed and was staring sightlessly out of the window.

Eliza touched Kara's arm. "We got it," she said, softly. "We got the formula for the antidote. Dr Hamilton's just making it up now." Kara just stared at her.

Eliza moved to Maggie's side. "Maggie," she said. Maggie wasn't hearing anything. "Maggie," she spoke a little louder. She touched her hand gently.

Maggie looked up. Eliza had never seen such a look of devastation in anyone's face.

"We're losing her," Maggie gulped.

"No, honey. We're not. It's going to be okay."


	3. Chapter 3

Could they really have a solution? Maggie looked at the limp woman in her arms. Alex's breathing had worsened again, and she was only managing weak, rapid panting. Maggie knew it wouldn't be long before they had to intubate her, and she knew what that meant. But Eliza said they had the cure.

"You're going to be okay, babe," Maggie promised Alex.

Alex wasn't hearing anything. She wasn't aware of anything around her. Not Maggie's words nor, thank goodness, her panic. But somehow, the one thing that was getting through was the fact that she wasn't alone. Maybe it was the feel of Maggie's arms. Maybe it was her scent. But there was a small part of Alex that realized that Maggie was with her.

"How long?" Maggie asked Eliza.

Eliza looked at her watch. "They're just making the antidote now. About another ten minutes, I would guess."

"Hear that babe?" Maggie whispered.

Alex moaned. Then, without warning, her neck stretched violently to one side. Her left hand shot up, and the twisted limb started to beat a grotesque tattoo on Maggie's arm. All of her limbs seemed disconnected to each other, as they twisted and turned violently. The convulsion seemed endless. Even after the injection of a strong anti-convulsant, it continued for a further four minutes.

Maggie was desperate. She couldn't hold her, and Kara had to step in, to stop Alex from hurting herself. Maggie had to content herself with placing her hands around Alex's face, and whispering lovingly to her.

When Alex finally collapsed, Maggie gathered her in her arms. For a brief, horrifying moment, she didn't appear to be breathing. But then she inhaled sharply. She opened her eyes for a second. "Ma...," and unconsciousness claimed her again.

"Where is that damned drug?" Kara rarely swore. The door opened, and Hamilton wheeled in a tray.

Within less than five minutes, she had unhooked the dialysis machine. "We don't want to the cure to get diluted in any way," she explained. She then injected a large dose of the antidote into Alex's arm. She set up a second IV, so that the drug would continue to drip through her system, while the other IV carried out the vital task of keeping Alex hydrated.

"How long?" Maggie's voice was barely above a whisper.

"It's impossible to know. He said it takes two days to start to work, and J'onn thinks that's the truth. I've never seen anything like this," Hamilton admitted. "We just have to hope."

Maggie held Alex tight. She realized that her gown was soaked with sweat. As she touched it, Hamilton saw what she was doing. "I'll get someone in to change her."

"No," Maggie said. She hated that she had already gone against Alex's wishes by allowing her to be clad in a gown. She was determined to protect her dignity as much as possible. "We'll do it, right?" She looked at Kara and Eliza.

Hamilton nodded. A moment later, an orderly brought in a dry bed with a fresh gown folded on the top, as well as a basin of soapy water and some towels. He gave a small smile, and left.

The three women worked fast, and Alex was soon dry and in the fresh bed. The orderly returned to remove the old bed. Maggie stood, looking down at Alex, unable to believe that it had come to this. She felt Eliza's hand on her arm. "You look awful," Eliza said. "Go, get something to eat, take a shower. We'll stay with her."

"Not hungry," Maggie snapped.

"I know that. But Alex needs you. She won't make it without you. And you need to keep yourself fueled," Eliza kept her voice even. "For Alex's sake."

Maggie's eyes filled with tears. Kara took her in her arms and held her close. When she pulled back, Kara gave her a small smile. "Go take that shower, Sawyer. Before you start to stink," she teased, gently. "We won't leave her."

Maggie returned 20 minutes later, having forced down some food and taken a shower. Her hair was still wet, so she had tied it up loosely on the top of her head. She didn't want her hair to drip on Alex.

Kara was on the bed, holding Alex gently. She started to move. "No, you stay, it's okay," Maggie said. She knew Kara needed to feel Alex in her arms every bit as much as she did.

Kara ignored her and slid off the bed. "It's you she wants," she said.

The time went past interminably slowly. Eliza left for the lab, wanting to double-check the make-up of the antidote herself. She knew there was no way Hamilton would have made a mistake, but she had to do something. There was no change in Alex. If anything, she seemed worse. Her hand, which had twisted in such an ugly way during her last convulsion, still turned in, claw-like. Kara stretched it out and held it between her own hands, but every time she released it, it went back to the claw shape.

For nearly six hours, nothing changed. Alex whimpered occasionally, and from time to time, a tear tracked down her cheek. When another convulsion hit, Maggie just wanted to die. She couldn't bear it.

Hamilton looked at her watch. "It was only three minutes this time," she said.

"So that's an _improvement_?" Maggie spat.

Hamilton understood Maggie's anxiety. "He did say two days before she would improve. And that's a little longer between episodes," she said. "The last one, it was less than a four-hour gap."

"We can't give up hope, Maggie," Kara's open, honest face made Maggie want to cry. "We can't give up on her."

"I won't," Maggie promised. "Hear that, Danvers? Nobody's giving up on you. We're with you all the way. You just have to do your part now. Remember Gertrude? I'm betting there's a puppy at the pound right now, just waiting for you to come claim her. And I'm not looking after the damned thing on my own. So you've gotta get better."

Alex's breathing continued to be a cause for concern. Maggie held her so she was raised slightly in her arms, to make it easier for her. After a few hours, Maggie drifted to sleep herself for a short time. She was exhausted, physically and mentally. She woke with a start, relieved to feel Alex still in her arms. There was no noticeable change in her, but she was still alive. "That's it babe. You hang on. It'll be all better soon," Maggie whispered to her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Maggie noticed a new apparatus behind the bed. Kara saw her eyes widening. "Dr Hamilton brought it in. Just in case, she said. If she has to intubate, she wants to do it fast. But we're not there, yet, Maggie. She's just being prepared."

"Okay, Alex, that's it. Time to start making an effort," Maggie gave Alex a small shake. "Listen to me. I'm not doing this alone. I can't do this alone. Remember what we said to each other. Remember that damned dog."

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

"104.1," Hamilton said. "It's barely noticeable. But it is a little lower. And her O2 sats are … not quite as bad as they were. She's fighting."

"She always was a fighter," Kara said. She had curled up on the other side of Alex again, at Maggie's insistence. A spark of hope bloomed in her chest. Alex seemed a little calmer. Her breathing seemed a little less panicked. It was hard to tell through the oxygen mask. "She told me once that I'm not the only badass in the family," her eyes pricked.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

"I just need to … I'll be right back," Maggie slid off the bed, passing Alex's care to Kara. She knew what she was going to do was the wrong thing. She just didn't care.

"Get something to eat," Kara said, softly, as she gathered her sister in her arms. She didn't know if she was imagining it, but Alex seemed more peaceful.

Maggie nodded. She strode to Malverne's cell and, using the passkey she had lifted from Alex's wallet, she let herself in. Malverne was smirking. "Something wrong?" He had no idea that Alex had been started on the antidote – all he knew was that he had woken with a hangover the previous day.

Maggie's punch seemingly came out of nowhere. She had always been scrappy, and her training at the Academy, followed by intensive training from one Agent Danvers, meant that she was a formidable opponent.

Malverne faltered, and fell to his knees. Using her elbow to delivered a downward blow, Maggie heard the satisfying sound of Malverne's jaw breaking. He screamed and fell to the side. Maggie was unable to resist kicking him hard where it would hurt the most. Then she felt J'onn's hand on her shoulder. "That should do, I think, Detective," he said, quietly.

She hadn't heard him come in. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough that I'm now just as guilty as you are," J'onn said.

"I know it was wrong. You can arrest me. Just let me stay with her until she's better. Then you can do what you want with me," Maggie said.

J'onn shook his head. "I don't think there'll be any need for that. Malverne fell down the stairs. It happens."

"I did not!" Malverne yelled. "I'll write to my attorney. You won't get away with this. I'm gonna tell him just what ..."

"As of this evening, you won't be telling anyone anything. You won't remember any of this. I'm still debating whether you leave you with any memories at all. How to walk. How to talk. Toilet training," J'onn's voice was dangerous. "I suggest you keep very quiet."

"I need medical attention," the injured man complained.

"And you'll get it. When our doctor has time. Right now, she has a much more important patient."

J'onn guided Maggie down the hall. "I should tear you a new one for that," he admitted. "But," he pulled her into a hug, "I'm just going to thank you instead. For doing what we have all been wanting to do. I know it's wrong. I don't care. Alex means more to us than anyone."

Maggie let him comfort her. He was a big bear of a man, but he was so gentle and kind. She had not had a father's love for more years than she cared to remember. But both she and Alex thought of him as a surrogate father, and he had never let either of them down. Solid. Reliable. Loving.

"I should get back to her," Maggie took a deep breath.

J'onn took her hand as they both walked toward Alex's room. He had not wanted to intrude, but he didn't think he could keep away any longer.

Kara looked up as Maggie and J'onn entered. "I think she may be a little cooler. And her heart rate has come down some," Kara said.

Maggie looked at the monitors. Her temperature had fallen to 103.8. The change was minimal, but it was a change. And Alex hadn't had a seizure for seven hours, the longest she had lasted so far. Her palms itched, she was desperate to take Alex in her arms again, but she didn't want to dislodge Kara.

Kara was more observant than Maggie had remembered. "You hold her," she walked toward J'onn and took his hand. "How are _you_ doing?" she wanted to know. She knew what Alex meant to him.

He squeezed her fingers. "I'll be okay when she is. We all will."

Alex moaned lightly, and pressed herself more into Maggie. It was the first sign of any conscious action for hours.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Shakespeare was right, Maggie mused, as she drifted in and out of sleep, her girlfriend in her arms. Time did go at different speeds. Right now, each minute seemed as long as an hour. But Alex wasn't getting any worse, and it had now been 11 hours since her last convulsion. Maggie massaged Alex's twisted hand. She could also see through the thin blanket that Alex's foot was turned in at an awkward angle. However this worked out, Alex would have some work to do, at the very least. But Maggie didn't care about that. She just wanted her back. If she came back to her, with her beautiful mind intact, they could work on everything else.

Alex shifted in her arms. She burrowed herself deeper into Maggie's front. That, at least, was an indication of some level of consciousness.

"103," Hamilton smiled, when she checked the monitors again. "It's getting lower Maggie."

Maggie nodded. Kara had left her alone with Alex, and she was grateful for that. She knew that it was Kara's instinct to remain by her sister's side for the duration, but she could tell that Maggie needed it to just be the two of them, for a while. And Kara wanted to help in any way she could. So Maggie sent a quick text to her almost-sister-in-law. _103_. _She's getting better, Kara._

Kara read the text, and resisted the urge to run to Alex's room. She found Eliza, and updated her. Eliza was sitting in the lab, but Kara could tell she was just killing time. And why not? Time was passing so slowly for all of them.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Maggie slept for almost four hours, longer than she had intended. When she awoke, Hamilton was in Alex's room again, swapping out the catheter bag. She smiled at Maggie. "Urine output is up. That's a good sign. And O2 saturation is better. If it continues like this, we can swap the mask out for a nasal cannula soon."

"Temperature?" Maggie tried to see the monitor, but it was at the wrong angle.

"102.7."

"Jesus Danvers, you do like to put us through it," Maggie whispered into Alex's hair. She did feel cooler. Maggie reached for her twisted hand. She didn't know if she was imagining it, but the muscles felt less tense as she massaged it. Alex was still very sick, but when she compared it to when she was at her worst, Maggie allowed herself a spark of optimism. She texted Kara. _She's looking better. Come see for yourself._

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Kara eyed Maggie carefully. She had never seen that level of devastation in anyone's face. Even Alex, when Jeremiah had gone over to the dark side – even then, her pain was manageable. But Maggie had been lost to them all. She was coming back now, Kara noted. She was interacting with those around.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Hamilton smiled as she fitted the nasal cannula. The look of relief on Maggie's face, when she was finally able to see Alex's face properly, after days of the mask, was unmistakable. And Alex looked more like herself now. Her temperature had fallen again, to 101.9. It seemed that she was going to make it.

Hamilton knew that they would have to wait until Alex woke – and probably some time after that – to establish what, if any, deficits had occurred. She would inevitably have some problems; a raging fever like that, for such a prolonged period, would be bound to have an effect. And her hand and foot were evidence of that. She had also lost a significant amount of weight – weight she hadn't needed to lose – but Hamilton knew that Maggie would make sure that that was only temporary.

Maggie had left the room for one of her rare, and doubtless brief, forays to get some food and to shower. She had left Alex in Kara's care. Hamilton looked at her watch. Fourteen minutes since Maggie left. She would be returning … she smiled as the door opened, to admit the small detective. "All good," she said to her immediately.

Kara turned and smiled at Maggie. She got up to release Alex, but Maggie put a hand on her shoulder. "You stay. It's okay." She sat next to the bed, and held Alex's bad hand. Gently, she started to massage the tight limb.

Alex shifted slightly in Maggie's hold. "S'nice," she mumbled.

Hamilton went straight to the bedside. Alex's eyes were still shut, but she could tell by the monitors that she was awakening.

Maggie leant over Alex, not releasing her hand. "Alex," she said softly. "You in there?"

"'nother five minutes, babe," Alex muttered.

Maggie stroked her face. "Just wake up for me, my love. Just for a minute. I need to see those beautiful eyes."

Alex grunted.

Hamilton turned down the lights in the room.

"C'mon, babe," Maggie coaxed. "Just for a minute. Then you can sleep."

Alex had no idea what was going on. She felt terrible. Had she been drinking? Everything hurt. She just wanted to sleep. But that was Maggie's voice. Maggie sounded anxious. What had Alex done? Had she done something dumb? Had she crashed her bike, or something? Why couldn't she remember anything? And then she heard the voice again.

"C'mon, Danvers," Maggie cajoled. "We know you can do it. Do it for Kara, she's right here with you too."

Alex knew that Maggie was worried about something. She should get up. She should help her. She tried to sit up, but her limbs wouldn't co-operate. Somebody was holding her. It was kinda nice. Those arms, they felt like Kara's. But those were Maggie's fingers on her cheek, she would recognize that touch anywhere. She forced her eyes opened. Her vision was blurry, but that was definitely Maggie looking at her. Beautiful Maggie. Maggie would know what to do. Something had happened. If only she could work out what it was.

Maggie cupped her face with both hands, her thumbs stroking Alex's face. "There you are, beautiful," her voice was shaky. "There you are."

"Ma...?" Alex didn't know why her voice was so weak. "Maggie?"

"I'm here, Alex. I'm here with you."

"Wha...?"

"You've been sick. You've been very sick. But you're getting better now. It's going to be okay."

"'kay," Alex's eyes were closing already.

Kara moved from the bed, and Maggie took her place. Alex mumbled contentedly, and wrapped a loose arm around Maggie's waist. Maggie didn't even realize she was crying until Kara wiped her tears away with her thumb. Maggie looked at Kara, her heart bursting. She could now, finally, believe that Alex would be okay. They couldn't yet tell how okay, but she had come back to them. They could work out the rest later.


	4. Chapter 4

"It's been four days. Shouldn't she be staying awake for longer?" Maggie asked Hamilton, anxiously. Alex was definitely in a much place than she had been, but she couldn't stay awake for more than about 20 minutes at a time.

The doctor smiled kindly at Maggie. "She's doing well, considering. Her body has been through hell, detective. She's not going to get better overnight. But her fever is almost gone, now. She just needs to recover. Remember, she's passed all the cognitive tests we've been able to do – that's major. She just needs time, and some rehab," unconsciously, the doctor touched Alex's twisted hand.

"But she will be okay?" Maggie insisted.

"Apart from her hand and foot, she'll be as good as new. And we can work on those. There's every reason to hope that they can be fixed too, and she'll be back to the old Alex. But it will take time."

Maggie looked up to see Kara enter the room. She smiled at her.

"We got it all ready," Kara said, smiling. She knew that Alex hated being in the medical ward, even though it was a private room. So she had persuaded the doctor that Alex could be cared for in her own quarters. It had necessitated moving some of the monitors to the new accommodations, but Hamilton had been eager to grant the request. Not only did she want her patient to be more comfortable, but she wanted her family to be happy too. And Maggie had spent over a week sharing the hospital bed with her girlfriend, and there wasn't enough room for them to be comfortable.

"We'll move her next time she wakes up," Hamilton promised.

Maggie nodded agreement. Alex was still fragile, mentally as well as physically, and she didn't want her to be unnerved by waking in unfamiliar surroundings.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

"I hate these things," Alex grumbled, as Maggie settled her into a wheelchair.

"I suppose you'd rather walk?" Maggie teased gently.

Alex looked down at her twisted foot, and Maggie immediately felt terrible.

"Alex, I didn't mean … I'm sorry, I just ..."

Alex grasped Maggie's arm. "I know," she said, softly. "I know you didn't. And you're right," she forced a smile. "At least this way I'm getting away from here. No offense," she smiled at the nurse on duty. "You've all been great. But if I never see the inside of this room again, I'll be happy. It's okay, Mag."

Alex had had a lot of time to think. She had been forcing Maggie to take regular breaks, and during those times, she had pondered how terrible the situation had been – for Maggie and Kara, most of all. She felt guilty; she had not been aware of most of what was happening. But her two favorite people had sat, and watched, and seen her deteriorate, never able to be sure if the breath she was taking was going to be the last one.

Maggie's eyes were hollow, and she had lost weight. And her emotions were on a knife-edge, Alex knew that. As bad as she was feeling, she knew Maggie was feeling worse. This had been the biggest test of their relationship, their love, and Maggie had not faltered, not for one second.

So Alex had to remind herself of how lucky she was, and not dwell on those things that were wrong. It was hard. Her arm was bad enough, but her foot could mean that she would never walk properly again. So she gave herself a mental shake, and told herself that she would not succumb to self-pity, and she would work, as hard as she possibly could, to fix herself. She would not make Maggie, and Kara, suffer any more with selfish thoughts or behavior.

Once Alex was settled in bed in her quarters, she felt herself relax. She was in her own clothes – just a tee and sweat pants, but she felt almost human at last. And, tonight, she would be able to hold Maggie properly.

Maggie was fussing around, setting a pitcher of water by the bed. "What can I get you?" she asked Alex. "Do you need something to eat?"

Alex shook her head. She patted the bed next to her. "I'd like to hold you," she said.

Maggie readily complied. Alex's arms were not as strong as she was used to, but she was real, and warm, and she was getting better.

They stayed entwined for hours. Alex quickly fell to sleep, and Maggie just enjoyed lying next to her, feeling her breathe, loving it as Alex snuggled closer to her as she always did instinctively.

Alex awoke to the sight of Maggie, lying there, with a book balanced on Alex's hip. She grinned. "So I'm just a book stand now, right?"

Maggie's face lit up, as it did every time Alex awoke. She shrugged nonchalantly. "Gotta make the most of the tools available, Danvers," she teased. "You taught me that." She kissed her softly, and stroked her cheek. "What do you need?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Alex swallowed. She knew that Maggie found this as hard as she did. "Did you order those calipers?" she asked.

Maggie blanched. When Hamilton had told Alex that it might help her to retrain her foot if she were to use calipers and a walking frame, Alex's face had hardened, and she had refused to discuss it. Later, Alex had softened and told Maggie that she knew Hamilton was right, and that she would have to go along with it. She had begged Maggie for some time to consider things, and Maggie had agreed. She knew Alex would come around, and she didn't want to take away one iota of control from her.

Maggie shook her head. "We didn't reach an agreement. I didn't want to do anything without your okay."

Alex took her hand. "And I think that's one of the reasons I love you so much."

Maggie kissed her again.

"I'll call Hamilton. Get her to move ahead with … stuff," Alex said.

"I can do that," Maggie offered.

"I know. And I appreciate it. But I think it'll be easier for me, if I'm the one … I mean, then I'm more in control. I know that sounds dumb," Alex admitted.

"It doesn't sound dumb in the least. We're not going to do anything you're not 100% happy with, Alex."

"Are you in the mood to do some massage?" Alex held out her damaged hand.

"Always," Maggie carefully removed the velcroed brace, and tried not to react when the hand automatically returned to its claw shape. "You know I like to take any excuse to touch you."

"You don't ever need an excuse," Alex smiled, as she leant back on her pillows. She hated that she had no energy.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

"It's crazy out there," Kara grumbled. "Winn is driving me nuts. James thinks he's gonna save the world, dressed in that stupid suit of his. And J'onn is pissed, because the President keeps asking him to find out who Guardian is, and to get him to stop."

"I'm glad I'm stuck here," Alex smiled lightly. Both she and Kara knew that wasn't true, but Kara appreciated her efforts to be positive. And she had started telling Alex the truth about what was going on. For the first couple of days, Kara would only tell her that everything was great, and everyone was happy. But Alex told her, in no uncertain terms, that she knew that was bullshit, and she did not appreciate being treated like a child.

"How's it going, with all that?" Kara gestured to the corner of the room, which held the calipers and the walking frame.

"It's hard," Alex admitted. "Especially hard, because my hand makes using the frame more difficult. But Steve's great." Alex had been working with her rehab trainer for the past two days, and she was grateful that he didn't make a fuss about her poor physical condition. As far as he was concerned, she had issues that he could help with. He could tell that she had previously been in excellent shape, and he was determined that she would soon be back to that. He didn't mollycoddle her, but nor did he make her feel bad when she needed to rest.

"You're looking so much better," Kara told her sister. And it was true. Alex had regained a lot of the color in her face, which had been an awful sickly gray for far too long. And her positive mental attitude was doing a lot to help all of them.

The door opened, to admit Maggie, who was wreathed in smiles. "Hey Kara," Maggie said, as she hurried to Alex. She kissed Alex deeply, finally drawing back, with a wide grin on her face.

"What's made you so happy?" Alex laughed.

"You. And I have news. Great news," Maggie said.

"Spill," Alex demanded.

"We're going home! This afternoon. You don't need any more of this," she waved dismissively at the monitors that still recorded Alex's vitals through wireless sensors. "Hamilton says that, so long as we check your temp twice a day, and you swear to tell her if anything feels off, then we can go back to the apartment. You also have to promise to eat three meals a day."

Alex grimaced. She still hadn't regained much of an appetite, but if this was what was needed to get back to their own space, then she would do her very best.

"We have to come back in once a day, so you can work with Steve, but we can do that, right?" Maggie's eyes sparkled.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Maggie folded the wheelchair, and put it in the corner of the living room, with the calipers and the walking frame. Alex preferred not to use any of them in the apartment, instead relying on Maggie to help her to the bathroom, or the couch, or wherever she needed to go.

Maggie was taking a further two weeks' vacation time, so she could be with Alex full time. But Alex insisted that Maggie went for a run every morning – partly because she knew that Maggie needed a break, needed to get out and clear her head. But Alex, too, wanted to spend just an hour or so by herself.

Alex knew she was lucky, that Maggie was not the type to smother her. And Maggie had been fierce in ensuring that Alex's will was respected by everybody. Nobody made decisions for her. Nobody spoke for her. But she still mourned the loss of autonomy, which she prayed was only temporary.

Maggie realized what Alex was doing, so she had started to extend her runs – she often sat by the lake for a half hour, and she always stopped for coffee and bagels at Alex's favorite coffee shop, so that when she returned, she would have breakfast for her girlfriend.

Alex smiled when Maggie came in from her run. Alex was at the table, reading the paper. Maggie came over and kissed her. "Your coffee, madam," she teased, as she set the carrier on the table. "Got croissants today, for a change," she handed Alex the bag. "I'll be right back."

Maggie was back in under five minutes, showered and casually dressed in sweats. "Did you do you hand exercises?" Maggie wasn't nagging, she was just interested.

Alex nodded, her mouth full of coffee. She swallowed. "I was hoping maybe you'd be in the mood for a massage on my foot and leg some time today."

"Of course. Let's do it once after breakfast, and then before bed, okay?"

Alex smiled, and touched her hand appreciatively. She knew Maggie was keen to help, but she didn't want to take advantage of her.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

By the end of the first week home, both Alex and Maggie were exhausted. Alex was working flat out to improve her physical condition, but it was the emotional toll that was the hardest to take – and the same applied to Maggie. Both women were trying to be upbeat with each other, desperately trying to ensure that they didn't make a bad situation worse. They were both more worried about each other than they were about themselves.

Some mornings, Alex woke up feeling normal, and then a pull on her hand or her foot would remind her of her problems, and her heart would sink. She knew that it had only been a comparatively short time, but still the situation was frustrating. She also hated that Maggie clearly felt that she had to be cheerful for her.

Before she had been taken by Malverne, they were both able to communicate their frustrations – with the world, and sometimes even with each other. It was healthy, and they both felt that they had equal rights in the relationship. But now Alex started to feel as though Maggie thought she was fragile. And, she realized glumly, she supposed that she was, in a way. Prior to this whole nightmare, she had been in top shape, physically. She was strong, fit, taller than Maggie. She could even take on Supergirl, and she had trained most of the agents at the DEO, even Maggie. But now she needed a stick to walk. And Maggie was trying so hard to pretend that none of it mattered that they were communicating less and less about the things that impacted them both so much.

"Enjoy your run," Alex kissed Maggie softly. "And I want a triple shot this morning," she decided to make her coffee order a little stronger than usual. She was determined that today was going to be a good day. As Maggie left the apartment, though, Alex's composure fell. She could feel the tears pricking her eyes. She knew that Maggie still loved her, as much as she ever had. And she felt the same way about Maggie. But a small distance was developing between them. They were being too polite. And she hated that she felt … handicapped. That was the only word for it. They all hoped that it would only be temporary, but what if they were wrong? What would happen then? So much of her identity involved her role as a powerful woman. She was respected for her abilities, physical as well as mental.

Maggie had only got half way down the street when she realized that she had left her wallet behind. So she headed back to the apartment to pick it up. They had developed the morning routine, and Alex would be expecting her back in 90 minutes, with coffee and breakfast. By that time, Alex would be dressed and ready for the day.

Maggie let herself back into the apartment, expecting to hear the shower running. What she heard instead made her blood run cold. The sound of weeping coming from their bedroom was unmistakable. Alex so rarely cried, and she had kept her loss of control for when she knew Maggie would be absent.

Maggie hated it, but she decided to respect Alex's privacy. Her girlfriend was trying to hard to maintain a façade of positivity, so she didn't want her to know that she had been caught in a moment of weakness. So, with a heavy heart, she picked her wallet up from the side, and left the apartment quietly, before Alex realized she was there.

Maggie had only gotten to the elevator when she changed her mind. She couldn't leave Alex like that. She might be pissed that she had been discovered, but she was hurting. And Maggie couldn't leave her when she was hurting.

Maggie raced to the bedroom, and gathered Alex in her arms. She had feared that Alex might pull back, that she would be embarrassed that Maggie was there when she was feeling vulnerable. But Alex allowed herself to be comforted, and she clung tight to Maggie.

"Let it out, babe," Maggie whispered. She caressed her back as she held her. "Let it out. I'm here for you."

Alex wept for close to an hour, her whole body shuddering with the pent-up emotion. She remained wrapped in Maggie's arms. Finally, as she calmed, she lay on the bed, still clinging tight to Maggie. Maggie just whispered lovingly to her, running her hand through her hair. "'m sorry," Alex whispered, eventually.

"Don't be," Maggie said. "You needed that. I think maybe _we_ needed it," she kissed Alex softly on the forehead. Alex looked up at her groggily.

"I think maybe we're being too … polite … with each other," Maggie stroked her back. "We're both kinda making out that it's all fine. That everything's going to be okay. And I think that's true. I truly believe that it will be okay – in the end. But it's not okay now, is it?"

Alex stared at her for a long moment. Then she shook her head.

"It's actually kinda crappy," Maggie went on, not relinquishing her hold on Alex. "You've got some real shit to deal with. And you're pretending that's okay. And I'm pretending that watching you go through that shit isn't hard. But it's not okay. Not for either of us. And we're not even talking about it."

Maggie felt Alex shudder with emotion again.

"So how about we talk about it? When something is really pissing you off, tell me. Yell at me. And I'll yell back. That _bastard_ ," she was suddenly icy with fury. "That bastard nearly killed my girlfriend. Twice. And she's hurt now. And I hate it. I hate that you are suffering. I hate that I keep remembering the things that you can't do. I can't ask you to throw me the phone, because one hand doesn't work, and you need the other one to balance because your foot is fucked. And I don't want to say any of that, because I don't want to hurt you. And then I remember that you _are_ getting better, and I feel calmer. I also know that even if you don't get better, I still love you more every time I see you. That will never change. So we _are_ going to be okay. Both of us. But we still have some shit to deal with."

Alex was smiling now. It wasn't often that Maggie would go into such a rant. She rolled on to her back, so that she was looking up at Maggie. She reached out with her uninjured hand, and touched Maggie's face. "I love it when you get all fierce," she said.

"You do know I love you?" Maggie needed reassurance.

Alex nodded. "I do know that. That's the one thing I do know. Well, that and that I know I love you. And I know you're right. This is a shitty situation. And we don't deserve it. And sometimes it makes me just so … goddamned mad. But you've been so amazing, it's not fair to take it out on you."

"But it's not fair to either of us to keep it in, either," Maggie reminded her gently. "Yell at me. Throw something. Curse. We don't curse enough," she said, teasingly. "We should curse more."

"Abso-fucking-lutely," Alex grinned. She put her hand to her head involuntarily.

"Headache?" Maggie could tell her from her eyes that her crying jag had given her a bad headache.

"It'll go soon," Alex tried to brush it off.

"Don't do that," Maggie said quietly. "You feel like shit. Own it," she gave a small, dimpled smile. "I can take it."

Alex smiled back. "You're right. I feel like shit."

"How about I run the tub? You can relax in there."

"How about _we_ relax there together?" Alex countered.

"You drive a hard bargain, Danvers," Maggie teased her. She kissed her very softly.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Maggie looked up from the laptop. "I don't want you to get mad," she said. "But I'd really like you to look at this. If it's an awful idea, just tell me, and we can forget all about it. But it might help, Alex."

Alex sat at the computer. She scrolled down, clicked on a few links, and then sat back. "I'm not sure we can afford it," she said. Maggie had found a rehabilitation center, which offered an intensive program that lasted a month. It cost $25,000, was full on for six days a week with only Sunday to rest, and required the patient to live at the center. "And it's such a long way away, New York is the other side of the country."

"I could come visit once a week," Maggie said. "And I'll bet the DEO would pay. And if they don't, I can sell my bike. I hardly use it anyway."

"You are _not_ selling that bike," Alex said, firmly.

"What do you think of the program?" Maggie persisted. They would find the money if necessary. They could probably manage it with their combined savings, they would just have to forget about the house they were saving for, for a couple of years. But if this worked, it would be so worth it. Alex needed to get back to where she was before. And if she couldn't, they both needed to know that at least they had tried everything.

"I think it looks great," Alex admitted. "But I hate the idea of being away from you for a month."

"I hate that too," Maggie agreed. "I'd have to see you every weekend."

"But you're not selling the bike," Alex said. "If any bike needs to be sold, it'll be mine."

"We'll argue about that once we've spoken to J'onn," Maggie said.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Alex was exhausted. She had been at the center for five days, and she had never worked so hard in her life. If she had thought that training with J'onn had been hard, she had been mistaken. _This_ was hard. But the trainers were excellent and the facilities were state-of-the-art. And they had great counselors. She had taken Maggie's advice, and admitted to a certain degree of trepidation when it came to water therapy. So the trainers knew to take it slow with her in the pool to start with, and to ensure that she always felt safe.

Alex missed Maggie the most at night. During the days, she was too busy. But the bed in her – admittedly well-appointed and spacious – room at the center was too large without her small detective. She couldn't wait until Saturday evening. She had tried to dissuade Maggie from flying that distance every week, but Maggie refused to listen, and for that, Alex was grateful. She was even more grateful that Maggie had booked a hotel near the center, so they could spend Saturday night and all of Sunday together, away from the center. Even better, J'onn had insisted that the DEO would cover all expenses, including the flights and hotel, as well as the rehab program, so there were no financial concerns.

That first weekend with Maggie was like it was at the very beginning of their relationship. They both felt renewed, refreshed, and relieved to see each other. Maggie had missed Alex every bit as much as Alex had missed her. They Skyped every morning and evening, but it wasn't the same. Seeing Maggie's face when she came to collect her from the center that first time was an image Alex would never forget.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

 **Six months later**

"It's dumb," Maggie was impatient as she pulled at her uniform collar. "I mean, I don't deserve this. I just did my job. It's what they pay me for."

"You are getting an award for valor," Kara said to her, batting away Maggie's hand, as she fixed her tie. "That's not nothing. You saved that kid. You deserve this, Detective Sawyer. And you look _great_ in uniform," she teased. "Alex won't be able to contain herself."

"Kara!" Maggie was mortified. She was particularly mortified, because she knew it was true. Alex had only seen her in uniform once before, and she had been almost drooling. The night that had followed had been memorable.

"Where is she, anyway?" Kara demanded. "Shouldn't she be here by now?"

"She's on her way. Something about alien DNA, I wasn't really listening properly," Maggie admitted. She was nervous as hell. She hated any form of ceremony, and this was even worse, as she was going to be the center of attention.

"Don't let her hear you say that," Kara chuckled. "Alex thinks you listen to every scientific explanation she comes up with."

Maggie laughed. "I try. But sometimes..."

"Oh Rao, I know," Kara laughed. "She thinks everyone loves science as much as she does. All those science fairs when I was a kid."

Alex slipped into the back of the auditorium just before the ceremony began. She sidled closer to the front, and slid in next to Kara on the fourth row. Kara's smile was wide and welcoming. She knew that Alex would be there for Maggie.

Kara grinned as she watched Alex applauding with gusto. Alex was so proud of her girlfriend.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

"It's a while since I've been in a cop bar," Alex smiled as she set down their beers. She took Maggie's hand. "I'm so proud of you, Maggie."

Maggie shrugged. "I don't know why there's such a fuss."

"I do. My girlfriend is the smartest, bravest cop in the NCPD. And she looks kinda hot in that uniform too," Alex grinned.

Maggie laughed, and pulled Alex in for a deep kiss. She took off her hat, and set it on Alex's head. "We don't have to stay for long. I have plans for you at home," Maggie removed her tie.

Alex's eyes widened. She knew exactly what Maggie was thinking. "Leave after an hour?"

"30 minutes," Maggie bargained.

Alex nodded. She remembered something. She got her phone out of her pocket. She passed it to Maggie. "I got an email this morning," Alex smiled. "Thought you might like to see it. Third email down."

Maggie scrolled down, and her eyes lit up as she read:

 _From:hrdeptdeo_

 _To:adanversdeo_

 _Re: fitness to practise_

 _Dear Agent Danvers,_

 _We are pleased to confirm that, further to advice from medical practitioners and stringent physical tests, you are now cleared to return to work in a full capacity, with no restrictions._

 _Sincerely,_

 _P. Coulter_

 _Head of Human Resources_

Maggie thought she might explode with joy. "We're leaving now," she declared. She stood up, swallowed her beer in one, seized Alex's hand and headed for the door. "Sorry, guys," she called over her shoulder. "There's something I need to do."

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Maggie flopped over on to her back, breathing heavily. Every nerve ending was zinging. She couldn't remember ever being this happy. She smiled as Alex pulled herself up and flopped beside her, a shit-eating grin on her face. "Well, Agent Danvers," she said when she had caught her breath. "I am pleased to report that your fine motor function is just … fine," she laughed.

Alex smiled, smugly.

Maggie turned to her side, and seized Alex's hand. She turned it between her own, and caressed it softly. "You've been amazing. You worked so hard. You can't even tell you had a problem."

Alex smiled. "It still messes around a little. When I'm tired. But I'm okay now. Thanks to you."

Maggie shook her head. "It's due to your hard work."

Alex cupped her face. "I wouldn't have made it this far on my own. You've been with me, every step of the way. I love you so much, Maggie Sawyer."

"And I love you, Alex Danvers," Maggie blinked away the tears.


End file.
